Downtown Loveland building could face demolition

The Arcadia Hotel building, 140 E. Fourth St. at the southwest corner of Cleveland Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown Loveland, went on the market Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Asking price is $575,000. (Craig Young/Reporter-Herald)

LOVELAND -- The real estate broker who is marketing a historic downtown building told the Loveland Historic Preservation Commission on Monday that the structure "is extremely tired" and "needs to go away."

Realtec Commercial Real Estate partner Larry Melton, who put the Arcadia Hotel building at 140 E. Fourth St. on the market last week, spoke during the commission's monthly meeting and told the members he wanted to warn them that he is recommending that it be demolished for redevelopment.

"To be straight up and frank, it needs to go away," Melton said, because of its condition and the realities of the cost to repair it.

"I'm selling this as a scrape, and you're buying the land," he said of the property at the southwest corner of Fourth Street and Cleveland Avenue.

The A&B Building at the southwest corner of Cleveland Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown Loveland was built in 1884 by pioneer businessmen Frank Bartholf and E.S. Allen. The building was put up for sale Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013.
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Special to the Reporter-Herald
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Melton said he's not insensitive to historic preservation issues. He told the six commissioners in attendance that his parents were big fans of the Colonial Williamsburg living-history center in Virginia, and he has experience owning and renovating historic downtown Loveland commercial buildings.

Too Expensive to Fix

"Economically, from my experience ... I don't see how anyone can ever make this work," he said.

Melton's presentation came during the public-comment portion of the meeting, and the commission took no action.

City planner Bethany Clark, staff liaison to the commission, said if a demolition permit were pulled for the property, the commission would be presented with that proposal.

She said the commission sees demolition permits for any building that the city has identified as being eligible for designation as a historic property, but it has no veto power unless the building actually is on the city's historic register.

The Arcadia building is on the city's historic inventory but hasn't received official status - a voluntary process that needs to be initiated by the property owner.

No commission members expressed strong opinions about Melton's comments, although some asked questions.

Commissioner Stacee Kersley, looking at an old picture of the building with its original architectural features, expressed regret that it had lost some of its beauty in renovations over the years and had fallen into disrepair.

Commission member Jim Cox, an architect, said he appreciates that the cost of renovating a historic building can be prohibitive. "I wouldn't want concern for saving historic buildings that aren't worth saving to be an impediment for developing downtown," he said.

Appropriate Redevelopment

But any new building constructed on the property should use appropriate materials and be built on a scale in proportion to what's in the area, he said.

"I don't think anyone would let that go higher than three stories," Melton responded, adding that 21/2 stories might be more appropriate.

Melton gave a tour of the building to five city staff members Monday, including the fire marshal and chief building official. Clark said they noted that the sandstone foundation is crumbling in places and the walls are separating from the roof.

Melton offered to arrange a tour for the Historic Preservation Commission members so they could see the building for themselves.

Before Melton spoke, Clark gave the commission some background on the building. It was built in 1884 with the town's first opera house upstairs, she said, and businesses on the ground floor.

Clark said the building, originally called the A&B Building after its builders, was the first structure in Loveland specifically intended for large public gatherings. In 1893, roller-skating was introduced to the public there, she said.

In the 1920s, the opera house closed, and the upper floor has been used for hotel rooms and apartments ever since.